PlayStation Wants To Put More Emphasis On Family-Friendly Games, CEO Says

When thinking about PlayStation, The Last of Us might come to mind. Or maybe Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon: Zero Dawn, or God of War. But looking ahead, Sony seems set on concentrating more on family-friendly games like Astro Bot, according to PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst.

Spotted by Eurogamer, Hulst spoke with Astro Bot creative director Nicolas ‘Nico’ Doucet on the official PlayStation Podcast about family-friendly games after the recent launch of the cute platformer. “I think it’s massively important that PlayStation Studios develops games in various genres, and the family market, I think, is really important for us to focus on,” Hulst said.

Astro Bot has become the best-reviewed game of the year so far, showcasing the possibilities for the franchise and brand for PlayStation. It’s something Hulst, who became PlayStation joint-CEO earlier this year, seems very aware of.

“Astro is very, very important to PlayStation,” said Hulst “Obviously, we had the pre-install [Astro’s Playroom] on the PlayStation 5, that millions and millions and millions of people have embraced and loved, and I think that’s become a little bit of a platform to launch this new game now.”

Additionally, PlayStation is bringing Lego Horizon Adventures to PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch sometime this holiday season. That means the Horizon franchise–and Aloy–will appear on a competing console for the first time ever,and it should make the series more family-friendly. For instance, Lego Horizon Adventures won’t feature “devastating” and “heavy” elements.

Astro Bot released last week on September 6, so be sure to check out GameSpot’s Astro Bot review. Looking ahead, Sony also just unveiled the PS5 Pro, which will cost $700 and launch in November.